Why Remember?
by Tro22
Summary: A young store keeper, long abused and blind, bumps into an Akatsuki member. What shall ensue?
1. Chapter 1

**Why Remember?**

**A young store keeper, long abused and blind, bumps into an Akatsuki member. What shall ensue?**

_Pairings: Hidan/OC_

**Rated: M**

**Genre: Humor/Romance**

_Note: I do not own Naruto, though I really wish I did. But I don't….su yeah. Don't sue me. It's called Fan-fiction for a reason…_

_Your promises are all played out_

_You've got your wish, you've worn me down_

_I treated you the best I could_

_I realize that I don't need you_

"Make more dango! We don't have all day!," A man with a scraggly beard rasped angrily, staring down at a girl with pretty blond hair. She bowed her head in fear of being hit, her eyes trained on the direction of his voice. Sadness ensued as she felt the strike land hard against her cheek and she sprawled against the floor, "Worthless. That's all you are. I don't know why I keep you."

'_Maybe it's because I'm your daughter you asshole.' _She thought. She never had spoken her thoughts, often. A frown marred her face as she reached out in his direction, feeling a broom get shoved into her hand, "You know where the door is. Sweep in that direction. And make sure you actually get it right…"

"Yes father," She sighed in a disappointed tone and grasped the broom nervously, feeling the current of the air from where she was. There was the door. With small sweeping movements she moved closer and closer to the door, tripping of a few wires, but regaining ground as she continued on her way, stopping when she heard a jingle of the door, "customer." She called and her father wandered out, she could tell he headed behind the counter she hated so much by his heavy footfall.

"Ah yes! How may I help you customer-san!", Her father boomed merrily and she wished, for just a moment, that she could be talked to in that tone, before resuming her sweeping, the hollow look invading her eyes from the once depressive view, "My partner is hungry, and he will not stop whining. Will you supply some food?" A deep gravely voice rang through the room, she tensed. It was full of malice and temperament, barely being kept on the edge of murderous intent. She heard her father take a small step back before clearing his throat, "Yes yes. We could! Irei! Go get the man as much food as he'd like!"

Was he being threatened? Her beautifully narrow eyes focuses on her surroundings, not like she could really see, "…Yes father." She said in a hushed tone and carefully walked into the back, holding her hands out in front of her a lightly. She didn't want to make a wrong move that could piss this guy off… '_It may just be the end of us…'_ She hummed as if she was happy a she retrieved a bag from the rack her father made her remember, if it was not by the slapping, it was from falling to the ground as he struck her, and hitting her temple against the corner of the cabinet beside.

Her hands drifted and plucked sticks of food off of the shelves, all wrapped neatly, through blood sweat and tears. Boy, was her father ever so lazy. She smiled out of faint adoration, when…would she be able to relax? Irei's father coughed from behind the counter, a silent sign for her to hurry up, and she stuffed a few more into the bag, rushing back out before stumbling a bit. Irei held out her pale hands, the bag was soon plucked out by rough calloused hands and the bell from the door jingled again, a wave of annoyance passed through the room. It must be his partner…

"Hurry the fuck up! I'm starrrving," A man said, his voice full of anger and an underlying confidence. She heard her father's fists clench tightly, and grew nervous, what made him so tense? Did they have weapons? She heard the light tapping of feet before a bag was shoved into the 'whiner's' hands. Why did the guys who have really nice voices have to whine or curse? "Finally. Food! About fucking time!"

She heard the rustle of the bag and the tearing of the wrapping she took such a long time wrapping and felt a pang in her heart. It was a waste, wrapping them…when they were just going to be put to waste, "Irei, get back to work." Her father ordered and she nodded slowly, reaching her hand out to where she remembered the broom to be, her eyes staring out into the open, then darting to the broom when she got hold of it. She could at least pretend she could see right?

"Yes father," Irei said quietly and began to sweep once more, away from the direction of the customers who started bickering at each other. "Why the fuck are we on one of your stupid ass side missions again? We have other missions too! More important ones!"

"We need money to continue missions," He grunted and flipped out a one hundred dollar bill as he went through his money. He looked at the bill before a pang of anger flashed through his eyes as he handed it over to Irei's father. Her father bowed and accepted the money, handing back a twenty dollar bill, which was twice the amount that was supposed to be given back… but oh well, "Thank you for your business customer-san. Please, do come again."

"Hn, move Hidan, we're on a timed… Hidan." The man with green eyes trailed off when he saw his silver-haired partner staring at the blonde who was sweeping in close, almost struggled strokes, as if she was having a bit of trouble. His partner's eyes gleamed with interest, probably having thoughts buzzing through his head as he ate his dango, "Hidan. We have to go."

"Oi, girly, why are you sweeping so funny?" He asked walking over with confident footfalls. Irei felt a wave of panic, and her white eyes darted around nervously, flickering to grey in the lighting to an unbearable white when they moved in the other direction. She acted as if she was trying to pinpoint him…

Irei was scared, incredibly fearful for her young life, she hadn't even been outside of the house before, she hadn't met any cute guys, nor had she ever strived to become something great yet… She backed up a bit in the opposite direction, the way she came and took a shaky breath. Hidan had to smirk, it was habit, seeing his victims tremble in fear, or at his godliness. He popped another piece into his mouth as he watched her, and chewed slowly, imagining her falling to the floor from his sexiness. When she didn't he frowned, and moved closer, this time, with smaller footfalls, testing her hearing. She moved away quicker, and bumped into a shelf, her father was probably panicking, she could imagine the sweat on his brow, or the fear that laced off of his chakra, as he taught her when she was but a child.

"P-Please don't harm my daughter, she- she is only doing her job," He stuttered, trying to pass off the fact she was blind.

"Huh. Looks like she's doin' a fucking bad job," Hidan grunted and Kakuzu rolled his eyes, tapping his foot. Irei felt a pang of guilt and lowered her gaze to the floor, was she really doing a bad job? She dropped to her knees in the direction of her father and bowed down in what seemed to be a 'please have mercy on me' position, her forehead touching the carpeted area, "Please forgive me father. I will try harder."

"It's fine Irei, just- go. Into the back. Make more dango. Now." Her father said in a rushed tone, pulling out a kunai from underneath the shelf. She nodded and got up, her blonde locks swaying from her braid and moved out of the room slowly, before she heard a small clatter and a spray of what she knew was blood, praying her father would be okay as she huddled into a small ball in a fairly large cupboard. Would there be a next time?

She heard a muffled scream and shook lightly, the cupboard she was in trembled gently, if not in a subtle fashion, discrete would be another word, but she felt it open shortly after and a rough hand drag her out. She tried to curl into a ball, like she would and her father would embrace her, but soon found out it was not her father as they didn't support her, but tossed her into a wall, feeling her head crack in the most painful way she could ever imagine on the cement wall.

"…," Irei stayed silent, curling into a small ball while clutching her very warm and wet head, taking deep breaths as to keep from screaming or lurching forward and loosing her lunch at the excruciating pain, "So your father was a ninja? What did he send out with you?" Kakuzu demanded, she didn't know his name though, since it was never mentioned, so she just referred to him as the 'gravel-voiced man'.

"There was nothing to send sir, he knew he was going to die, there was no point in getting the authorities involved. Please, take the money from the register and leave," She said, choking back the emotion that rose her temperament. She felt like screaming, or crying, maybe throwing up and then doing both, or crying and vomiting, whichever one came first. She reached for her head again as she felt a hand grip her hair and yank her up. There was pain, oh yes, and red staining her once pristine light blonde locks.

"Tch. Like that's fucking believable. Want me to search the bitch?" Hidan grumbled loudly, his voice full of anger that he wasn't the one who killed her father. Kakuzu looked her over, and saw that once again her eyes were not focused on them correctly, more so in the direction of their voices, "No. She couldn't have sent out a letter. She couldn't even write."

"Why the fuck not Kakuzu? She's probably just as capable as any dumb bitch," Hidan shouted, the sound of a blade hissing through the air.

"She's blind," Kakuzu stated simply and Hidan let out a small sound of disappointment, he really wanted to check and slice in the process. Sacrificing to Jashin was always a good thing. He seemed to nod to himself as she squirmed in Kakuzu's grip on her hair, before she fell to the floor again, her eyes vacant, no longer filled with pain, since a numbing sensation was passing over her, "Let's leave. We have no more business here."

"Why the fuck not? It's a fucking sin not to sacrifice for Jashin! I have to kill her! Or we have to take her along, and I vote for the first fucking option. So quit being a dickweed and let me have a slice!" The sound of metal rang through the air again and then a punch was thrown, someone being knocked into the other wall, opposite from her, "We'll take her along."

"FUCK NO." Hidan bellowed, she heard the rustling of a cloak before she was picked up, and held in a classic bridal position, curling into a small ball in who she guessed was Kakuzu's arms. Maybe she was safe… for now. She then drifted off to sleep at the chime of the bell on the front door, and the tearing of paper again, with some faint swear words in the distance.

**--**

Her head was throbbing, it felt….odd. When did her head throb? Her eyes opened, and she was greeted by darkness, sighing in distaste, "Hello world." She muttered and felt above her, slowly remembering last nights events. There was no one there, or anything there for that matter, she was safe to sit up. Her white eyes, now a diluted cream color, glanced around the room as if she was taking in detail. She was, but it was in the form of scents and sounds, unlike most people, who groan and complain about it all.

The room stung her nose with the scent of bleach, heavily downed in it, the floors and walls were probably a yellow streaked with white, or completely white, as were the tiles, or cement. Someone probably dies here whenever they take captives…then they let them rot…and rot…her eyes had finally rid themselves of sleep, now a normal pearly white as they usually were.

"So you're awake, hm," A male's voice rang and a door swung open, light footsteps sounding from the floor. The room was obviously big, because it echoed. She followed the voice with her ears, feeling them wiggle as they tried to pick up the last of the vibrations. This room threw her hearing off… badly at that, "We put you in this room for a reason, hm."

"Who is we sir?" She asked politely, if not in a quiet enough tone. She was taught to talk quietly, another sequence of hitting made sure of that… when she was a child… she shuddered lightly and shook herself out of her reminiscing, her gaze lifted to the ceiling, "Hn. The Akatsuki."

"Never heard of you….of course. I've been kept in the dark my whole life. Why start telling me things now?", She questioned him politely, raising a delicate blonde eyebrow, "They did tell us you were quite polite. I didn't think that it would be true…"

"Huh. Especially since Hidan's version of polite is someone walking up to him and stabbing him in the chest and saying hello with a smile," the other chuckled, he seemed to be a bit more mature, but he had a light sense of humor. She pondered on this thought, sighing in distaste, oh well, "Why do you sigh Irei-san."

"I wish I could see," She stated bluntly. One of them seemed taken aback, before settling down, "It's a horrible thing, you can't enjoy things."

She turned her head to the side, towards where she guessed them to be, now that she had a good grasp on the room, "It's like you're not human."

**--**

_**Author's Note**_

Squee? I know the chapter's short. But it's a good thing… you know? Kinda good, but kinda bad. I could have drawled on, but I'm afraid if I did, I'd have nothing to run on. Oh well. So reviews and comments? Your choice really. Have fun with it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Why Remember?**

**A young store keeper, long abused and blind, bumps into an Akatsuki member. What shall ensue?**

_Pairings: Hidan/OC_

**Rated: M**

**Genre: Humor/Romance**

Note: I do not own Naruto, though I really wish I did. But I don't….su yeah. Don't sue me. It's called Fan-fiction for a reason… (And if you've noticed, I have one review! YAY! Thank you so much Orochigirl! Thanks! And I may used the word 'footfall' a lot in this story, so get used to it. It's a hell of a lot better than 'the patting of feet.' it takes up less space too.)

_We walk through the doorway, heard you calling from the hall_

_To find you in the bedroom not breathing at all_

_I drag your body to the cellar where we lay, the wax it melts away,_

_I kiss your face..._

The three stayed in the room in silence. The occasional shuffling of feet or cloaks lifted to the air, but the girl named Irei stayed on the bed, silent and still. There was nothing to talk about. And she knew it. That's why she was quiet in the first place. A loud sigh echoed through the room and the creaking of a door was heard, heavy footsteps followed shortly after, announcing someone else was in the room.

"Leader-sama wants to see the girl," A new voice said loudly, it was a wise voice, but it held an air to it that hid some sort of malice. Were the 'Akatsuki' all blood thirst mongrels? She confirmed her thoughts and swung her feet from the bed, searching the ground with small pats of her toes. When she finally touched the ground she lifted up, standing with an awkward grace holding out her hand without a word. She may as well comply… Irei felt her head swirl and stumbled a bit, a small squeak leaving her lips as she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist, "Easy there doll. Leader-sama wants you there in one piece… Kakuzu really did a number to your head… at least he sewed it up." The man grumbled, Irei felt his voice rumble through her body, and somehow, it seemed more relaxing when he was closer, than when he was away.

She sighed and used him as a bit of support, mainly for her head, which was in a world of pain, or was it her brain that was in pain? Did it get jostled or something? Maybe when she was hit she had a washer/dryer effect. And she kind of spun when she hit the wall. She couldn't remember correctly, and registered it as a tornado spin from hell. Those always messed her up. For a bit, she felt secure, with arms wrapped around her waist, and wished it would last, even if she had to die. Her eyelids drooped and the man holding her by the waist seemed to notice, nudging her lightly. She grunted and looked up at him, or where she guessed to be where he was, he tapped her chin lightly and a blush stained her face, making her turn to look away, "For being blind, ya sure are good at guessing where people are."

"You get used to it," She said quietly. A chuckled rumbled through the man as they walked, she soon heard footsteps behind them and the man next to her groaned lightly, an agitated vibe radiating off of him.

"Tch. That bitch is really needy isn't she? First Deidara and Sasori, now you? She really enjoys whoring herself around," Hidan smirked. She could feel the smirk, it radiated off of him. And she really wanted to blow it off. With a bunch of…well… explosives. She smiled lightly, imagining the best she could of a face, which was pretty much a circle with a line for the lips, a nose, and two eyes that were messed up. And watching them burst, just like when she's thrown against walls or struck to the floor, flashes of white pass through her mind. Horrible flashes of what seemed to be color. Saddening thought. New subject.

"May I ask who this Leader-sama is?" Irei questioned politely, looking back up to the man who was holding her. He seemed a bit uncomfortable, tensing at her question. Did she overstep her bounds? She would have dropped to her knees and bowed again, but his arm was an obvious obstacle.

"No. You'll meet him," The man beside her grumbled and the other, Hidan chuckled from behind them. With the thought of him being behind them, it made her feel very, very insecure. There was nothing protect her but this man, and she wasn't even sure he was good with hand to hand combat, or weaponry that was involved with the combat. Like shuriken and kunai or other things like that.

"So Kisame, what do ya think leader wants with this bitch?" Hidan questioned with another smirk. Maybe his line of speech was very easy to pick up on, because her brother used to talk like that before he got killed by…someone? She couldn't remember, she was only four at that time, and there was a fifteen year gap since then. It was a very long time for a blind person to remember.

"Dunno really. We'll have to see now won't we?" The man said, she could now identify the amusement in his voice. So, something was going to hurt her, or scar her for life. Wonderful. Irei huffed quietly and felt a hand pat her head, it was rough, and heavy, making her neck get a small kink. Ouch, "You'll be fine kid. Just as long as you don't talk out of turn."

"I will not," She stated as she heard a door open, and she felt herself get pushed in, she turned her head back lightly, as if she was facing them, "By the way. I'm nineteen."

The door slammed shut and there was a surprised grunt from the other side, and some swearing. As she had gone through before she passed out in Kakuzu's arms. She sighed and stood still, not sure if she'd bump into anything, or anyone for that matter. Silence. She hated silence. It mean someone was staring, or the room was empty. If only this monster had eyes…

"Welcome Shainingu-san," A cool collected voice said. It was interesting, she analyzed the tones, and found nothing that was traceable except for the soft undertone of curiosity. Had this man ever seen a blind person before? "The circumstances that you have been brought here are very… disturbing, but with the fact that you are blind, we find no reason…" The man seemed to stop in mid-sentence as he pieced his thoughts together. She waited patiently as the sound of footfalls created pats of blue in her mind. Soft steps, calculated. Precise. He was letting her know where he was. The man had stopped in front of her, and she squeaked in surprise as a few fingers touched her chin. Her white eyes widened and she cringed.

"You have come here…under undistinguished circumstances, and due to your inability to see, you must either die, or become some sort of help to us." He drawled on, making her blood run cold. He saw the color drain from her already pale face and sighed, she obviously did not want to die, that was a given, "We are going to test your chakra. It seemed to them as if you had some while you were sleeping, as your eyelids were glowing. Or at least, that's what Kakuzu said so plainly."

Irei blinked slowly, as her eyes grew itchy. Sure. She was blind, but it didn't mean she couldn't **feel **her eyes. She could also feel his stare, which was something everyone could do, she was almost positive that anyone could at least. Her father always said, 'Someone's staring at me…' or things such as that where he added 'I feel like.'

"For the hand sign…do you know it?" Leader-sama questioned. She thought for a moment and frowned, shaking her head without a word. She heard a light sigh and felt him grasp her hands, placing them together carefully, extending a few fingers and clasping his hands around them, "stay exactly like that." He grunted and let go. Irei's hands, as he commanded, she complied, keeping her hands there, "Now, focus on your hands, imagine a sort of energy flowing to them, as you did your eyes while you were sleeping."

"…," She did so. Irei's hands, over the period of five minutes grew to a bright green color, sickly, if most were to look at it. She heard the door open but she kept her concentration strong, "Kisame, use Samehada over her hands. Make sure not to slice."

"Tch. Fine. No guarantees though, Samehada has a mind of it's own," The man she heard earlier grunted lightly and she heard the hilt of a weapon rise, and start… pulling at her chakra. She retaliated and sent out a strong burst before backing up, her hands out in front of her, still glowing, "Hm. Samehada shoulda grabbed more than that…"

'_What the hell were they trying to do to me?'_ Irei questioned herself and let out a huff of air, squeaking as she felt the pull again. Samehada was back. With no sound she quickly moved back and hit a solid figure. A door most likely. She didn't like that thing he held out over her hands. It made her feel weak. And she didn't need to feel weaker than she already was, "That's enough Kisame."

"Yeah, yeah Leader-sama," Kisame shrugged and looked at the girl who had taken a fighting stance. Maybe her blindness helped her physical instincts. She'd be a good fighter against chakra based opponents…, "Lemme know if you need to test her chakra again." He then left the room without another word, she felt his arm brush against hers and the place she was leaning against gave away, she stood quickly and let the chakra continue it's flow. She hadn't stopped, because he hadn't given her permission to. And she really didn't want to end up dead… she shuddered as the slice of her father's death reverberated through her mind. She hated that sound.

"You may release the chakra," Leader-sama said. She let out a small puff of air and her eyes flickered around as they usually did, hoping for even a glimmer of light in the darkness she was submerged in, "You have a bit higher expanse of chakra than most Nin. But it's nothing to brag about. We can train it and expand it." He said calmly, she heard him move and felt like her ears were going to pop from the strain she was putting on them to listen.  
"And someday, you'll be able to see," Leader-sama muttered to her and her eyes widened, now white dots on the expanse, only separated by the thin lining of grey that tackled her beauty to the ground, "You will train with Itachi…that is all. Kisame."  
She heard the door open again and squeaked as it bumped her, a small chuckle sounded from where the door was, and she knew it was the extremely tall man she was next to earlier. She flashed a small smile, either out of habit, or it was genuine. She couldn't tell, so she opted for the second choice. It was abnormal. Yes. But she could deal with it later. She didn't want to think about why she actually smiled. If it was really a smile.

"Yeah Leader-sama?" Kisame grunted crossing his arms.

"Lead her to Itachi, she is now under his protection," Leader-sama said and Kisame bowed, unknown to Irei, who just stood there like a beacon, screaming 'hey! I'm right here! Not bowing! Cause I'm blind! Woowoo!' Kisame, as she guessed, gave him the response she couldn't register; a nod. She hated people who nodded, and she wanted nothing more than to smack him upside the head.

Hidan, who was standing behind the door, was now laughing and pointing at Kisame, who rolled his eyes and covered Hidan's face with his large hand, "And now she's after Itachi! Ahahaha! What a bitch!"

Irei growled. She had it up to her nose with that blockhead already. She'd teach him a lesson… her pupils reduced to mere slits, similar to paper, and she communicated in the form of a roundhouse kick to his gut, giving him the perfect reason as to why he shouldn't call her a bitch. She heard him cough and smirked, rewrapping her arm around Kisame's carefully. His laughter ceased, and his loud cussing filled the air as they walked away, feeling the man next to her try to suppress his laughter. Perfect day. If not lovely.

**--**

"Itachi-san," Kisame grumbled rasping his hand on a door, slight shuffling could be heard… but nothing more, until the door opened, revealing none other than a very sleepy and irritated Itachi, "Hn."  
"Leader-sama wants to have you watch over the blind girl from now on. Teach her chakra control and things like that…," Kisame grunted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Itachi looked at the blind girl with a skeptic eye, she somehow felt his gaze boring into her eyes and blinked, averting her gaze. She was smart. She could learn, even though she was blind. He let out another small grunt and took her hand, pulling her into his room abruptly. Irei squeaked loudly and fell forward, and as planned, he caught her, lifting her up and carrying her.

'_Sense of balance. Gone. Gone. Bad. Balance. Need balance!_' Irei then began to struggle in his grip, hearing him grunt in annoyance. This was Akatsuki right? The same organization that just eliminated her ex-ANBU father? Yeah. It was. She rolled her eyes and stopped struggling, squeaking when she fell on a surface she guessed was a bed, "I am tired. You shall go to bed, and if you are hungry or have personal needs, leave the room without disturbing me."

What the fuck?

She sighed and laid down, feeling him lay on the other side of the bed without another word, and soft whistling sound filled the air, signifying that he was breathing. Good? She guessed so… she felt her stomach churn and noticed that she was, indeed, very hungry. Maybe she did loose her lunch yesterday…

She lifted up, hearing a small grunt, she tensed. No. He was asleep, he just…moved…. To touch her butt. Irei twitched and resisted the urge to hit the now sleeping man. She could tell he was asleep however, due to his heart rate. Though she was blind, it didn't mean she was deaf…

Irei stood quickly, brushing off what she deemed as tainted clothing and shuffled to the door, feeling eyes on her. He…was awake? Her senses were on high alert now… it wasn't fun.

Itachi watched her carefully as she retraced her steps, she was quick to memorize patterns, he had noticed that with the small calculated steps he got annoyed with when she was walking, so he made her fall on purpose. The main purpose was merely a test, to see if she memorized _his_ footsteps and the direction he was headed when he reached the bed. He watched her through sleepy eyes, eventually dozing of as she reached the door.

A very smart girl. With a very nice ass.

**--**

**Author's Note**

Woowoo! The next chapter is up! I'm proud! I know Itachi is a TIIIINY bit out a character. But hey, he's a man isn't it? Who wouldn't grope a pretty lolita-shaped girly? She's very pretty anyways, so who'd not feel tempted? XD Anyways, thanks for reading! Review please! I got kinda sand I only got two review last chapter… but knowing my fans, they pick up pace. As you know, I used to be Indigo Foxx, but I didn't want to delete my old stories, and I was tired of looking at them every single day, so I switched off of that account and onto this one…. Su yeah! It makes me happy! Please review! Or favorite the story or something. -Mumbles- Thanks!

Samishii


	3. Chapter 3

**Why Remember?**

**A young store keeper, long abused and blind, bumps into an Akatsuki member. What shall ensue?**

_Pairings: Hidan/OC_

**Rated: M**

**Genre: Humor/Romance**

Note: I do not own Naruto, though I really wish I did. But I don't….su yeah. Don't sue me. It's called Fan-fiction for a reason… (YAY FOR REVIEWS! I LOVE YOU ALL! -giggle-) By the way, the song is Writing on the Walls by Underoath, who I don't own. So don't kill me bouts it.

_Maybe we, why don't we sit right here for half an hour?_

_We'll speak of what a waste I am, and how we missed your beat again!_

_I swear we need to find some comfort in this run down place_

_To bridge the gap of this conscious state that we live in_

_And I'm short of time_

Irei inched out of the room carefully, her senses strained, her eyes wide, her small hands outstretched, as if she was headed into the light, her repentance. Almost as if she could get her sight back just by grasping the air ahead of her. She knew, however it was impossible as she touched a wall, and pressed her face against it, a lone tear passing down the nonexistent curves of her porcelain face. She began hitting her head against the wall lightly, cursing her disability. Why couldn't she have been born without an arm or had a defect in her speech?

Her thoughts trailed off as she felt a hand on her shoulder, she tensed and whipped around, only to feel them grasp her shoulder in an excruciating fashion. Ouch. Did he notice he was hurting her? She glared out into the air and sighed, "What are you doing out of Itachi's room." A familiar voice said and she kind of relaxed, except for her shoulder, which was in a death grip.

"He said if I were to disturb him for any personal needs I would be punished," Irei replied calmly, looking up to the voice.

"Hn. Well. Anyways. What is the reason you're out…," He started and the rumble of her stomach filled the air. She heard a deep rumble emit from his chest before another voice filled the air, "Oi! Kakuzu! I'm hungryyyyyy! Feed me!" The man's chuckle turned into a growl of irritation and he pulled her along, his grip tightening on her already sore shoulder, "Come. The kitchen's this way."

She followed without a word, no argument, except…for on the inside, she wanted to bite him. On his arm, and make him let go of her shoulder, and without another thought, something clicked in her mind and she sank her tiny sharp teeth into his arm, his hand released it's grip and she was slammed into a wall. Were was Itachi when she needed him?

"Why the hell did you bite me?" He asked in a venomous tone, she shuddered and curled into a ball on the floor as she did when her head bled, "Your grip was too tight."

"KAKUZU! BITCHFACE! GET ME SOME FOOD!" Hidan roared as he entered the hallway, falling silent as he saw her curled on the floor. His laughter filled the still air and a punch came shortly after that. Not on Irei, but on him. From who? Well. It was Itachi, who had been trying to catch up on his forty-winks, "Shut up. Both of you stop injuring my subordinate. Or you'll both pay. Take her to the kitchen. And get her food." He then walked back into his room and slammed his door shut, just like any arrogant Uchiha would if they were having a bad day… or a bear that was in hibernation. Yeah. A bear. That suited Itachi just fine. Especially when he wanted to sleep. Roooar.

"Hn," Kakuzu grunted and took her arm this time, being gentle, and pulled her forward, hearing Hidan mimic Itachi's words in a snotty voice, she kind of imagined him doing such a thing. Hidan seemed to be the immature type of guy. It was despicably….cute.

She sighed and shook her head, her bangs brushing against her forehead as she walked, "Kakuzu, you're walking too slooooow! I'm hungry! I want food! I wa-" Another crash was heard, this time, she felt something crawling underneath Kakuzu's arm, as if receding back into his veins… or body. Either one, it was still really creepy. She heard a light drip hit the floor, and guessed that the man next to her lost his temper like he did at the store and shuddered, feeling him squeeze her arm lightly.

"Shut up Hidan. Go get your own food," Kakuzu grumbled and picked her up. She squeaked and started to squirm, eventually settling for landing hard punches on the man's chest while she chanted 'floor'. She hated being picked up. It was a rotten thing, she had to focus on _their_ footsteps instead. Noting this, Kakuzu tightened his grip to be unbearably painful, especially to her side, and she stopped thrashing, settling for glaring out to where she guessed his face was, "Set me down."

"No," He replied and loosened his grip a bit, she could hear the non-existent smirk in his voice, and just like before, she stayed calm, making things shaped like faces explode, "Put me down…_please_."

"Shit. Now she's begging for it? Heheheh," Hidan chortled and covered his mouth in amusement. How she loathed him, and what he did, because she couldn't see, allll because she couldn't see! (AN: Who'd have thought I'd ever use that word for Hidan's laughter….) She sighed and felt him loosen his grip more, her eyes sparkling with hope…that is… until he said the following, "No."

"What did I do to you! Why won't you set me down!" Irei roared getting frustrated, her face was now burning, and her eyes were reduced to the slits before as she had hit Hidan. Why wouldn't he put her down! She could walk! Shuffle, but walk either way! "Whyyyy?" She hissed at him.

"You shuffle. It's annoying. So I'm carrying you. End of discussion," Kakuzu bit out, very angry with the little harpy in his arms. She bit him, she hit him, she glared at him and yelled at him. Not the best way to get on his 'good side' if he had one that is. Irei turned red in embarrassment and turned her head in the opposite direction, pouting, "Well _excuse _me_._" She growled crossing her arms under her small chest, '_It seems without her father around she gets very….rude. Or insecure… like a cornered animal. They may lash out. And they may not. She could be dangerous if she put the effort into it.'_ He thought, taking note to tell Leader-sama when he had the chance. They may not want another hotheaded person around here. It wouldn't bode well with the walls, or the equipment around the base.

They arrived at the kitchen and she shrieked as she felt someone wrap their arms around her and pull her into a tight embrace, "IREI-CHAN IS SO PRETTY!" A man shouted happily and squeezed her, making her squirm and squeak. She couldn't see who was hugging her, so she couldn't really tell if they were trying to smother her, absorb her into her body like some freak off of Dragon Ball Z or what. She kind of giggled while she imagined using that one attack that her old friend before she was killed in action told her about. '_What was it… Kame…what? Guh. Don't care. Back to reality. WHY THE HELL IS THIS MAN HUGGING ME?!'_

Irei squirmed and lifted her hand, feeling for hair, or anything for that matter that would harm this man, and met his dark brown (Not that she could see that it was brown) locks and tugged, hard. Yelping, the man dropped her on the floor, and she felt above her, looking like a total idiot, but it was reasonable, because if she didn't she'd hit her head or her shoulders. Irei rose with a huff, very testy now about everything. And backed up, hitting a solid, soft object, "Who…" She sniffed the air and her answer was a given. It was Kakuzu, who smelled of paper and copper, silver, and gold. She sighed again and kind of stood there, feeling him take her arm again and lead her over to the table, forcing her to sit down in the benched area, "What do girl's eat Irei. Tobi wants to know!" The voice from earlier squealed happily and she kicked herself mentally. A _special _guy. How wonderful.

"Food," She replied and heard Hidan snort. He was too easy to entertain…

"What kind of food?" Tobi pursued, seeming to be excited still. He was stupid. Why was he in this organization? She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair, looking in his general direction, "The edible kind." Tobi seemed to quiet down, his hands making a light pat on the table every now and then. That's when she heard it. From the table, came a faint heartbeat, she sighed and pressed her ear to the table, holding her breath. Yep. There it was. A heartbeat. Her hand flitted over the table, feeling a knife. She heard a squeak of discontent, guessing it was Hidan's squeak, she locked onto his voice already, and stabbed the table without another word.

Slowly, she heard a grunt come out of the table, and Tobi shriek in discontent. A small spatter sounded as it hit the floor, and she smirked. Whatever it was, she got it. A weird sound, like when people morph into things sounded, and a hand grabbed the wrist with the knife in it, pulling it away and out of the table, "**That hurt bitch.** Please don't do it again."

Irei twitched visibly, and her eyes narrowed, "What did you call me?"

"Excuse my other half- **Bitch. Bitch. Bitch."** Zetsu retorted, she was confused. Why did he apologize and say his 'other half'? Her brows furrowed and she jumped at the hand on her shoulder, pointing the knife at the hand in a menacing fashion.

"Whoa. Don't point that thing at me, hm. I don't want to die just yet. I'd rather go out with a bang," A familiar voice said and she relaxed just a tiny bit, deciding she was safe, "And Zetsu. Stop scaring her. She's a new member of Akatsuki."

"**She's blind though. She's useless other than to be food**," Zetsu said and Irei looked at the table, resisting the urge to stab it again. She felt a growing hate for any table she had remembered from her childhood. She was afraid of being hit by them, now she was afraid of them _eating_ her.

"I'm not useless you morphing piece of shit," Irei growled and slammed a hand covered in chakra onto the table. Zetsu, surprisingly, fell out from the bottom with a loud grunt, his eyes wide, stunned if it were to be defined.

"How'd you know he wasn't…just a table, hm?" Deidara said, he felt her sit by him, scooting a bit closer to this friendly man for comfort purposes, "I can feel his chakra...and he smells very floral." With that, Hidan fell to the floor with a loud thud, his howls of laughter rolling upwards, you could almost say he was crying because laughing started to wretch at his stomach for every last bit of oxygen in his body.

"Calm down Hidan. You said you wanted food right?" Kakuzu grumbled, wishing to silence the annoying Jashinist. Hidan just grunted and rolled his eyes, standing slowly while wiping the tears that formed in his eyes from laughing so hard. He smirked at Irei, then remembered that she couldn't see, and decided to direct it to Kakuzu, "Hell yeah I wanted some food. Make me some."

Irei felt pressure next to her and decided that Hidan had slid into the seat next to her, kind of wishing he'd explode or something. She didn't like it when people were next to her, because she couldn't really tell what they were doing. If they were making rude gestures, faces, or whatever they could do, it made her want to check their faces with her hands and see exactly _what_ they were doing. Not very fair…

"Get your own food Hidan," Kakuzu grumbled pulling out a bag of chips from a cupboard, if Irei could have seen the bag, she would have flipped out for it was her favorite kind of chips: Barbeque.

Irei just sat there, before she felt a small crinkly package placed in her hands, she noticed the smell of the hand and identified it as Kakuzu, and he was giving her food like Itachi ordered. At least he was a nice man. But why did he have to smell like… old and money? "Thank you," She muttered and pried open the bag carefully, sniffing it's contents before letting out a small airy squeal and digging in neatly. She had gotten the chips, and it was food, the best food there ever was…

"Were you born blind or what?" Hidan asked through a mouthful of food as he sat down again. When did he leave? She suddenly felt very insecure and scooted over near Deidara, who was thankfully, still there, "Since I was four."

"Did you just, suddenly go blind or what? I'd fucking throw a fit if I couldn't see," Hidan questioned again, he didn't notice how rude and investigative he was being, but she didn't mind, he wasn't being an asshole on purpose… right? She really wanted to see his face right now.

"I woke up blind one day," Irei said and 'glanced' away, kind of hurt at what was true. It was very true, how she woke up, and the world was dark, never to give way again.

"Hidan! You're such an ass, hm! Can't you see that's a personal matter?" Deidara questioned angrily, glaring at the Jashinist who seemed to be so ignorant that he didn't know how to treat a girl, "Excuse Hidan, he's just a stupid immortal. That's all."

'_Immortal?_', She thought and shivered a bit, he was immortal and she wasn't, he would see for eternity, and she'd be stuck blind until she died, where both her body and mind would be dead, unusable, and she'd be even darker than she already was.

Such a pity, because she knew that this was all she had.

Irei heard in the distance the small tapping of feet, and turned her head to the direction where she came in, munching on the chips in the bag one by one. These footsteps were a bit rigid, yet at the same time, fluid and well placed, this was someone new that she hadn't met. But who was it? "Sasori-danna…you never come into the kitchen, hm. So…what brings you here?" Deidara questioned. Identified, she registered and the corner of her lip ticked lightly, as if it had a mind of it's own, and tilted with confidence.

"I heard there was a new member of the Akatsuki and came to check who it was. It is as simple as that," Sasori said, there was something about his voice, she registered, that made him sound like he was in pain, just a little, and wondered if something was wrong with him. Little did she know, he was a puppet, and he would always sound like that.

"Ah. Well this is Irei-chan, the blind girl," Hidan said and was punched, or so she heard. He coughed and hit his own chest, glaring at the person who attacked him, "Kakuzu! What the fuck! Seriously! Did you have to hit me! I was just stating it so he wouldn't be all 'oh, well why is she having so much trouble getting around? Is her sight okay' and shit like that! Jashin-sama will kill you one day! Believe it or not!" Hidan muttered and Irei kind of relaxed a bit, so he wasn't all that mean? He just wanted to get the point across as soon as possible, she let out a small huff when he added 'cock sucking atheist' to the punch, and rolled her creamy white hues, never mind… he was just after everyone.

"I had already identified that when she was eating chip," Sasori muttered and sat down, she heard wood clattering and grew curious, stretching out a hand that she just licked clean and wiped on her shirt. She honestly didn't want to get barbeque powder smeared all over someone. It was just…so unsanitary.

She felt another hand stretch out and squeaked, feeling that it was cold, and had a very rough but smooth texture. Nothing like flesh, but at the same time, exactly like flesh. The man…she bent a finger carefully and heard a small clatter, was made out of wood! Her eyes widened and she resisted the urge to crawl up onto the table and feel his face or anywhere else she could, she never had met a talking puppet before.

But then again. It _was_ the Akatsuki…

**--**

_**Author's Note**_

I'm sorry it took so long! I was working a Naruto High School site, and also taking care of my own. If you want… you can join. But yeah. Who wouldn't want to be awesome? -snickers-

The High School Site I Made: http(colonslashslash)irisandeye\(dot)proboards(dot)com(slash)index(dot)cgi

My Naruto Shippuden Site: http(colonslashslash)fhetd(dot)proboards59(dot)com(Slash)index(dot)cgi

By the way, here's a really cool role-play site, it's almost brand new, because it doesn't have a lot of members, but I think you should go there anyways. Test the waters neh?

http(colonslashslash)zomgyaoihigh(dot)proboards(dot)com(slash)index(dot)cgi

I hope you follow those links and join a few, cause that's where I usually am spazzing out and not working on my fan fictions. (And role-playing is such fun.). Enjoy?


	4. Chapter 4

**Why Remember?**

**A young store keeper, long abused and blind, bumps into an Akatsuki member. What shall ensue?**

_Pairings: Hidan/OC_

**Rated: M**

**Genre: Humor/Romance**

Note: I do not own Naruto, though I really wish I did. But I don't….so yeah. Don't sue me. It's called Fan-fiction for a reason… by the way, the song is **This is Home **_**from **_**I Am Ghost**, who I don't own, but if you're curious, look it up…it's really pretty. So don't kill me bouts it.

_Lost and decayed, we are cut beyond our saving, _

_But we are home now... the room is still warm. _

_I fell in love with an Angel, a heart that isn't cold ._

_Say goodnight, we are dying, just hold on,_

_Blessed these shadows and tasted every one ,_

_They can't steal our love tonight._

After a long while, the drama finally cooled off, and the 'lunch' was a quiet affair other than short questions and answers of how missions were going and things about Jinchuuriki. It was a lonely time for Irei, proving to be stressful also, for when everyone had left, she had no one to escort her back to Itachi's room. She felt a pang of dread, feeling the gashes that would mar her body already. Her eyes were strained with concentration as she stood from her chair, fanning her arms out carefully, she didn't want table boy to be there to bite them off at any time. When she felt nothing, she turned to her side, feeling in that direction with even more caution, after all, she was taking her first step alone in this base. And it was a pretty rotten base too, she couldn't even count how many turns that people had to make because they passed by so quickly.

'_I hate this…organization,_' Irei thought and placed a foot with caution, wobbling when she stepped on something round. Of course you'd expect her to loose her balance and someone would catch her, but that was never going to happen, especially in a base like this. Why not? Her father never picked her up after she fell, so why should these people do such a thing? "Ridiculous," She muttered as she caught herself muttering aloud about 'how she wished she could just replace her eyes' and other things like that. Irei had fallen of course, and was laying on her back, her hands held up the her shoulders like a startled child. Her eyes held a vacant look and she pushed herself up off the floor, now mad at herself. She should just walk, and not care if she hits anything. It was a waste of her time, be it her lifetime or just the simple minutes that passed by.

With a few bumps, hisses, and profanities she finally felt the cool of the hallway meet her feet, the cement wall touching her bruised hands. She stood there for a decent minute or two, taking a deep breath, collecting thoughts and calming down from pain. Irei than remembered which way she came in, turning her lithe frame right. She felt a small breeze and shuddered, looking up with her non-existent gaze, "Who's there?"

A small chuckle passed through the area, too small to identify who exactly, and she couldn't get a decent grasp. For a moment, she thought of a small angry red beast, covered with spiky red fur and had vicious long fangs, dripping with froth from rabies and blood, letting out angry roars as if it were trying to find something. Her thoughts…that was her anger personified. And…it was ugly, a small sneer placed itself on her fragile looking face, which had a small knick on it from hitting a cupboard in her 'oh-so-amazing' journey through the damned kitchen of hell, "I asked who's there. Answer or I'll find you myself."

"…hmhm," Another chuckle passed by, it _had _to be _someone_, unless she developed a sudden schizophrenic phase in her life. She held her hands out nervously, her eyes wide and concentrated, she would not lose to this person. She _would _find them, and than she would hit them just because she could. She heard a small step and followed it, eventually walking at a brisk pace after the person, seeing the little red monster in her mind pull in another monster, more like a blue fluff ball that wasn't soaked, but at the same time, it left a trail of water. She was suffering, why did they have to tease her? She just wanted to find them…and hit them! The angry monster shouted at the little blue monster, making it wail and curl into a small possum-like ball. It wanted nothing more to escape this angry assault. Irei's sneer turned into a full-blown scowl and she broke out into a run, the person letting out a surprised grunt before eliciting a small laugh, "GET BACK HERE!" She shouted and then ran into a solid object. A wall. She heard a **wall**. Irei fell back and onto the floor, hitting her head on the other wall behind her before looking down at where she guessed her feet were.

"Mh. You know, you're a damn good listener," a familiar voice said and she grew mad, tears springing to her eyes as she balled her hands into fists, "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Another laugh pierced the air and she heard him sit down next to her, patting her head with pity, "As if you really could girl."

"I'm not a gir-" "Jeeze. Can't you take a joke…less seriously? Fuck. You're just like Kakuzu-baka." Hidan grunted relaxing a bit. Why did he happen to be so annoying? And what made him this way? Irei pondered for a moment before giving up, not wanting to worsen the headache that was already forming, "I can't help it if you're annoying…" She grumbled, placing her hands on her face before resting them on her knees in a cradling position.

A small hitch in his breath signified that she had gotten to him, and a small smile flickered on her pale lips before disappearing, "You're a bitch. You know that right? Even if you're blind."

"Yes. I know I am. But you love me," Irei said quietly, looking in his direction, though she was off by a little bit. Hidan was taken back a bit, love was a very strong word, and he swore in the back of his mind this 'love' was forbidden in the Jashinist religion. His lavender eyes flickered a bit with confusion, not that she could see, and he cast her a huge 'what the hell are you talking about' look before leaning back against the wall with a thud, a soft grunt leaving him, "Love is against my religion bitch."

"Stop calling me bitch. And I doubt it is, if your book was in brail I would check," Irei said in a contemplative way, curling into a small ball against the wall, finding it comfortable and relaxing, just like the cupboard she always hid in. Just then, she remembered her father, and that this man's 'partner' killed him, feeling a strong pang of loneliness and relief, though she had to admit, the relief was far more vast, she wasn't a disappointment to him now, was she? She also remembered the injury to her head, experiencing more pain that just a headache. She closed her open eyes, letting out a low hiss of pain before slumping over.

"Girl? Shitshitshitshit. Kakuzu! She passed out! She just…fucking…FUCK! KAKUZU! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU WHEN WE NEED A….MEDIC!" Hidan bellowed, expecting the man to appear and bow in compliance, though he never did that, so why expect him to do that now? The tan-skinned man came from around the corner with a look of distain staining his eyes, looking down at the girl who was slouched in a slight fetal position, "What do you expect me to do? I stitched up her head. What else do you expect me to do Hidan?"

"CHECK WHAT'S WRONG YOU STITCHED UP FREAK!" Hidan shrieked, not understanding why he was freaking out, but at the same time, he understood completely, how would Itachi react to having his subordinate passed out on the floor? Kakuzu grunted and picked her up by the back of her shirt, Hidan whining that he wasn't holding her right. Who really cared anyways? She was Itachi's problem… subordinate. Not his. So he felt no need to feel over protective about this apparent Akatsuki-in-training. His translucent green hues scanned her over, her face as calm when she was asleep or passed out at least, her hair draped over her shoulders with the way he was carrying her, though he was careful not to let her waist-length locks drag on the floor. Hidan just complained as they made their way to the only actual Akatsuki member they could place the term 'Medic' on; Sasori. Kakuzu rasped on the door heavily with his free hand and it clicked open, revealing that both Deidara and Sasori were painting Deidara's nails, fingers and toes.  
Hidan resisted laughing of course, not wanting to focus on anything but the situation at hand, "Well? What is it?" Sasori questioned, raising an eyebrow. Kakuzu walked over, lifting his arm to place the small young woman on the bed in a heap, "She passed out and Hidan started whining at me to 'make her better'." Kakuzu grumbled, glaring at Hidan, though it wasn't nearly as effective with his mask on…

Sasori sighed and handed Deidara the nail polish, crawling over to the girl and turning her so she was on her back before looking her over, "Her head wound is infected. I knew your stitches were to sloppy…," Sasori muttered and placed a hand on her forehead, not really feeling anything except for an exceeding amount of blocked chakra gathering, "And she has a fever. Congratulations Kakuzu, you're officially killing off everyone in the Akatsuki." Kakuzu bit his tongue, resisting the urge to punch the puppet into little pieces of wood, like the worthless scrap he is, "You should go wake Itachi and tell him, he wouldn't mind in the case of it being his subordinate."

Kakuzu inwardly winced, not wanting to deal with an angry, bear-like Itachi at the moment, but did so anyways, noticing Hidan was helping Deidara paint his toes, which the Iwa-nin couldn't do due to the tongues on his hands and their odd urge to lick the nail polish off the brush, resulting in poisoning for a good amount of time. Hidan was just being himself, complaining about how whenever he was around things just messed up. Irei muttered in her sleep, a light crease in her brow showing she was suffering just a little in her state of sleep. And just when things could only get worse…

Itachi and Kakuzu entered the room, a sleepy and angry look crossing Itachi's face every few seconds as he battled the mental state of 'hibernation'. His hands were loose however, and he ran one through his raven locks, staring down at the girl as Sasori placed a washcloth on her head. He glanced at Hidan with a tired 'I blame you' look before sitting down next to her, crossing his legs in a childish way, staring at her face intently as if saying 'wake uuupppp'.

Sasori sighed, looking up at all of them before Deidara pulled the covers up on the bed, tucking them around Irei, "It looks like she's taking our bed hm?" Deidara questioned, looking at Sasori with wide blue eyes before looking down to the albino girl with a bit of wonder. How did people's skin get that way? Was she a Jashinist like Hidan was? Is that why she had no pigment- "Her eyelids are glowing again hm!"

And as he said, her eyelids were glowing a soft yellow, showing her body was trying to subconsciously repair her eyes, but it probably wouldn't work, as she had been doing that for whenever she could remember. Hidan blinked and looked around the room, seemingly uninterested in everything, but curious as to why she passed out, he had plenty of fevers before, but it never made him pass out, and it wasn't even because he was a Jashinist. His purple eyes scanned the girl curiously, as Deidara's did, and he wondered if being a Jashinist would help her out with health issues. He looked down at his pendant and felt the urge to kiss it and start praying, but didn't, knowing he'd have sacrifice himself later. He hated sacrificing himself… it wasn't fun at all. Anymore at least.

Startling all of them, Irei shot up with wide eyes, kind of clutching her arm before falling back, staring out into space like she had been injected with Novocain, her lips parted gently and she pulled the washcloth away from her forehead with the arm that wasn't 'injured'. Her eyes then slid shut like glass doors, the glow never returned however, and they all stared at her like they witnessed some miraculous event. What the hell was that she just did? Deidara opened his mouth, and shut it at least three times before looking up at them and asking what was all on their mind, "What was that?"

"…" Itachi looked at Deidara with a 'how the hell should I know' look, patting her arm that she grasped, kind of wincing and rolling up her sleeve, glaring at Kakuzu and pointing to the new injury about the size of a needle wound, "What is that."

"I didn't make it. Hidan," Kakuzu said and Itachi's glare shifted to the Jashinist, who was just staring at her with a surprised look. He snapped out of his thoughts as he heard his name called and pulled a 'whhhaaaat' face, his purple eyes glittering with curiosity and confusion. "What the hell are you staring at me for you douches. I didn't do anything."

Sasori moved over to check the wound and frowned, a small look that was never attractive on his face, and he muttered something about 'Pein being a jerk sometimes' before looking up, "He's trying to clear what's wrong with her eyes. He thinks it's something in the back near the retinas…at least that's what I'm guessing."

"He should have told me, I am her guardian," Itachi scowled, wondering if he was quick enough, he could use Mangekyou Sharingan on Pein, not wanting to get caught in a possibly deadly Kekkei Genkai that Pein had… Rinengan, what a rotten ability he had…. Itachi sighed and left the room, muttering something about talking to the leader, and Kakuzu left shortly after him, wanting to complain about having to carry Irei a decent ten feet from the hall to Sasori's room. Deidara, on the other hand, laid down next to Irei, staring at her with soft eyes before hugging her. Sasori rose a brow curiously, wondering why his partner was showing such a kind display.

"She looked lonely hm…," Deidara muttered, averting his gaze. Hidan, however, stared out the window, wondering what would happen if she did get her sight back after this injection took place, or it was really permanent. And when did Pein have the chance to inject her anyways? His lips pursed together and his purple hues narrowed dangerously as he stood, "I'm going to go pray…" He huffed before leaving the room, most likely going to stab himself a good five times before he was satisfied. Sasori just reached for the cloth, going back into the bathroom to soak it in some cold water before placing it on her head again. It obviously wasn't cold enough.

Nothing ever was.

**Yusyus! Another chapter is done and over with! Congratulations? Reviews? Favorites? Whatever you want! I'm just happy I spilled another chapter out. I felt like getting a character sick…and it turned into this. I don't know where my brain is taking me. But I kind of like it. Yusyus. I love you all!**

**Samishii.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Why Remember?**

**A young store keeper, long abused and blind, bumps into an Akatsuki member. What shall ensue?**

_Pairings: Hidan/OC Possible Other Pairing. VOTE ON (IN YOUR COMMENT) WHO GETS SAMISHII and SUMI._

**Rated: M**

**Genre: Humor/Romance**

Note: I do not own Naruto, though I really wish I did. But I don't….so yeah. Don't sue me. It's called Fan-fiction for a reason… by the way, the song is **Dress Up **_**from **_**Kiss Kiss**, who I don't own, it's crazy and it's fun. Look them up!

_I tried some puppeting, I used some rope and string!_

_Nothing could make you dance like, How you used to!_

_I admit I flipped out, I tossed your bones about!_

_How your soul came out, You taught me, you told me secrets!_

"This is just great. Absolutely great. We walk into Irei's store. And she- well. Gone! What the fuck are we going to do now? She was our fucking lifeline of food, including her dad who's officially kicked the fucking bucket," A blonde with peculiar purple tips in her hair sighed, scuffing the ground with her heel. Her accent preceded her, giving off the impression she was from a rough part of a village, when in all reality, she wasn't, she just had a rough family life before…well, you'll find that out later. Her black eyes glimmered purple with frustration has her stomach growled, they could always go to that really cheap- no. Bad thoughts. She had to have high quality food. Or else she'd die.

"…," the girl beside her remained silent, her temporarily blue hues glimmering as she poked a needle covered with blue ink, it tinting both her skin and orange hair a cute shade of blue, "There is no need to panic. Irei must be alive if she was not found at the scene…"

"Or she is dead like everyone else we used to know. First Miruku and now Irei! Who next? Your brat was pretty much invincible right? Right?" The color in Sumi's skin was fading to the slate of white it usually was, and the small smile that graced her face disappeared. There went her color…and her happiness. She ran a hand through her locks, wringing them shortly after, blue ink spilling to the dirt road as she looked around.

"Right…," Samishii muttered and made a few hand signs, placing her hand above the ink, a bolt of static shot out and zapped the ink out of existence, maintaining the air that they were never there, "I guess I'll track Irei's scent, we need to find her so she can give us food."

"You're…insensitive," Sumi muttered quietly, opening small vial of peach colored ink, dipping her finger in. Slowly, color danced up her arm, and the color inside of the vial disappeared, her eyes turning a vibrant peach and her skin turning a healthy, almost normal color, "I'm ready to go."

"Alright, let's get out of this shitty place, the dryness is making me produce extra static electricity," Samishii said roughly, flicking a finger, and just like that, a crack of lightning came down from the once clear sky, now covered in the area where they were, hitting the ground. When the sky cleared, the ground was marked with a star shape, and the two young women were gone.

**--**

_Irei felt like she was moving through sludge, it pulled her down and swallowed her whole, drowning her slowly, as she felt she could still breathe, but it was…complicated. She whimpered and reached out to where she thought the sky was, opening her eyes only to remember._

_Everything would always be black._

_She let out a small strangled cry as she was pulled out of the sludge and held in a warm hug, the cool metal of a necklace meeting her neck before she felt herself burst into small liquid drops, blood? She would never know because she couldn't see, all she knew was that she was falling…falling…falling…_

Irei shot up, gasping for air, her eyes were shut, and she felt a hand on her forehead, pushing her back down as if they were trying to force her back into the land she loathed the most, her dream state, her lonely, very scary place. She opened her eyes and let out the loudest shriek she could muster, it was too bright! She let out another shriek as she closed her eyes, finding that the darkness, no matter how inviting, was far worse than anything, but it brought her the little comfort it could.

"Relax hm, Pein-sama decided to repair your eyes…without telling you, I don't see the point in that though hm. It makes no sense…" A familiar voice said and she cracked open an eye, a blurry image focusing in of blonde hair and blue eyes, was that…Deidara?

"You…look…," Irei muttered and paused…she could see…she looked around the room slowly, trying to register all the odd shapes and contours of peoples faces, she could feel a migraine etching into the corners of her eyes, making her close them and whine a bit, "You….look like a….um…person?"

Deidara just grinned and chuckled, petting her hair gently, "I know, it's a lot to take in right, hm? You get to see things for the first time in your life. I'd be scared, hm." Irei opened her eyes again with a shaky breath, looking around and trying to identify people without giving away her confusion, she knew Deidara already, but who were these other people? Her eyes, no matter how bleary they were with tears from the pain of sight, glanced at the people, scanning them over and frowning, only able to identify Kakuzu because of his stitches, the other people…well…she'd have to do this the hard way… she sat up and sighed loudly, grumbling, "Um…..well can you all tell me your names?" She blushed, kind of ashamed that she couldn't identify them, mainly because they were all being the silent idiots that they could be at times, especially Itachi…she knew he was almost deathly silent. One by one, they listed off their names and through her headache, she committed them to memory, taking in their facial features and everything. She'd have to learn to read…and everything…all over again. This honestly sucked.

"Are you hungry Irei-san?" Sasori questioned with a brow raised, she blushed a bit and nodded, sighing and kind of staring at her hands, she knew the definite shape, but the appearance…was just awkward, they looked somewhat…..looking…she was actually looking… she blinked and saw her world go dark behind her lids, opening them again, she saw their faces, moving to get out of the bed, only to see she was dressed in an oversized shirt, probably Kisame's or Kakuzu's…she rubbed her eyes, finding the small sensation a relief to the burning in the back, the medicine Pein had given her was obviously still at work, improving her eyesight to the point where it could be irreversible, and she'd have perfect sight for the rest of her life…goody.

Sasori took her sleeve in his hand, leading her a long quietly to the kitchen, knowing she'd probably be confused as to where things are now that she had sight. Blinking, his taupe eyes wandering around the kitchen, he was never in here a lot…it was sort of awkward, because he was puppet…so there was no point in going into the kitchen to eat, everyone hated his cooking anyways. He sighed lightly and ushered her over to the chair, calling for Deidara who darted in overjoyed, chirping out a greeting to her again, before starting to make lunch, as it was that time. Irei watched him work with a knife, wondering if that's how she looked when she made dango and other treats at her father's bakery. She pushed her bangs away from her face, finding them to be more of an annoyance than ever, why didn't she notice that when she was blind? They attacked her eyes, she hated it. And they obviously hated her as they slipped back into place.

The Jashinist sauntered into the kitchen, humming with a huge grin on his face, sitting across from her and grinning, she _haaad_ to notice how hot he was now. He propped his head on his hands cutely, "Heyyyyyy there." Irei just blinked and tilted her head to the side, making the corner of his lip twitch a bit in irritation, a disappointed look on his face, she'd come to. She'd have to notice how hot he was, after all, Jashin-sama blessed him with this body. Irei got her food set in front of her, humming happily as she looked around, pausing and staring at the chopsticks like a foreign object, she hadn't used them before without….or…with her sight to be exact. Sasori grunted and glared at Hidan, "Feed her."

And with that, he left the room, leaving an awkward situation to boil over. Hidan looked at her, and in turn, she looked at him, opening her mouth, giving him a flat look, "The food is getting cold."

"I fucking know that," He grumbled, a bit embarrassed that he stared at her somewhat pretty face for a while, he wouldn't admit she was probably beautiful, because beauty was something with blood on it. He picked up the chopsticks, shaking his head and sighed, leaning over a bit and pulling out a bit of ramen, making sure it was spun around the chopsticks a bit before holding it up to her mouth, "Fucking open already, or I'll drop this ramen on your lap."

Irei opened her mouth, taking in the ramen and chewing slowly, savoring the taste, she wasn't all too sure when she'd get her next meal, though they were feeding her very well for the most part. This continued, along with a few cuss words when Hidan dropped some ramen back into the bowl, or couldn't get a decent grip, when they got down to the bottom of the bowl, Hidan swore loudly when Zetsu appeared from the table, grumbling about two strangers out on the grounds, looking at her and poking her cheek, "They know you apparently."

Irei paused and tilted her head to the side, looking at Zetsu, still confused about why he looked like a plant, but didn't bother asking, especially since she didn't seem to want to die at the moment. She blinked and thought, sifting through her memories, pausing and tensing lightly as she mentally identified the two, looking at Zetsu, "they're my acquaintances. Don't kill them…just…if the blonde gets out of control, there's a rosary around her neck, press the pendant to her forehead…and…she should….pass out for a bit…"

Zetsu nodded and disappeared again, Irei standing up and wondering which way to go to calm down her acquaintances. She squeaked as someone picked her up and hoisted her on their shoulder, seeing Kakuzu, who blinked at her and grunted something about her friends and after some traveling they were at the scene, seeing Itachi get kicked by a furious blonde with odd colored tips, who Irei noted as her acquaintance Samishii. Her eyes were blazing with anger, a vibrant purple as she rubbed her hands together quickly, static electricity crackling through the air, the Akatsuki members around them were curious, but Irei panicked, having heard that sound before, she squirmed out of Kakuzu's arm hold and raced over quickly, stumbling a tiny bit before tackling her friend to the ground, the electrical currents around her hand stopping immediately.

"I-Irei-chan! What the hell was that for! I was about to kill this idiot who decided to try genjutsu on me!" Samishii bellowed squirming, trying to pry the young woman who had a tight grip around her waist from her body. Sometimes, she loved Irei to bits and pieces, other times, she couldn't stand her. She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes, Irei obviously had some s- Wait. Wasn't Irei blind? Samishii blinked, pushed her bangs out of her face, and looked down at the young woman who looked directly into her eyes, that film over the cream colored girl's hues was gone, leaving pristine white, snake-like orbs in her line of vision, "I-Irei….since when have you been able to see?"

"Today," Irei said and let go of her friend's waist, only to feel someone's hand on her head, turning around and seeing Sumi staring down at her with emotionless hues, blinking and sitting down next to her before wrapping her arms around the lolita-esque girl. Irei tensed momentarily, but knew they probably were worried sick at first, smiling and hugging Sumi back, tugging on the half ponytail before giggling, "Missed me? Or are you starving?"

"Starving…..missed you….worried…both," Sumi came to the conclusion, nodding quietly and patting her friend on the head before standing up fluently, looking around and nodding in apology to the Uchiha, "She gets…cranky when she doesn't have food…" Samishii just snorted, glaring at her a bit before standing, helping Irei up and hitting her shoulder lightly, "You're a pain. You know that right?"

Irei just giggled lightly and shoved at Samishii's arm in return, "No, I'm not. You're the pain for hunting me down and hurting my um….group?" Samishii snorted and rolled her eyes, glaring at her friend before pushing her hair out of her face again, letting out a loose sight and glared at all the other people around them, snorting in distaste before she looked back at Irei, "Food?"

Irei's eye twitched lightly and she glared in return at Samishii, "Is that _all_ you care about you idiot?" Samishii puffed up in an instant, her eyes going from that calming midnight black to the bright purple they used to be, biting her lip to keep from saying something, "I thought you cared about me Irei! You're gunna leave me to starve?" She snorted and smacked the golden haired woman's arm lightly as Sumi let go, pondering and reaching into her pocket, pulling out a vial of ink and handed it to the red-head. Sumi nodded in appreciation and smiled lightly, uncorking the vial and stuck a finger in, the black in swirling up and staining her nail black before her skin tinted an unhealthy grey, her eyes changing from the white they were earlier to an almost dramatic, deep black, smiling at the other in appreciation and wringing out her hair, the previous ink spilling to the ground, soaking in.

Irei sighed and shook her head, looking to the others, "You…wouldn't mind…if I brought these two to the base right?" Deidara and Sasori were already bickering about how long it would take to make their new outfits, while Kakuzu had a lost look, as if he was thinking about how much money it would cost for the Akatsuki to take in two more people. At least the three that had recently been added weren't blind. They, almost simultaneously, shrugged and Itachi rubbed his stomach lightly, not too happy from the blow paid by Samishii, "If the leader has complaints, than he will clearly state that we should either kill them, or dispose of them properly."

Irei smiled happily and nodded, taking her friend's hands and pulled them in the direction of the base, feeling a bit woozy she swayed a bit, Kakuzu wandering forward and picking her up again, grumbling about what a problem Pein was and how he shouldn't experiment on people who weren't willing, making her smile up at him, squeaking as she was pulled away and looked up curiously, blushing a very faint pink as she noticed who it was. None other than Hidan, and he had a somewhat embarrassed look on his face, he wouldn't look at her, which he found amusing. But all's well when she gets a free ride to places. Who needs to walk when you have a group of men, plus woman, waiting on you hand and foot?

She was obviously spoiled.

**Author's Note**

_Aslkasdj. Sorry for taking so long people. I guess…I kinda forgot about this fan fiction for quite some time! *bows, pleading for forgiveness* I squeezed out this much! Please be happy! Please? O.o Ohes. And don't forget to review!_


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